“You will have your first field lesson and finally face real bat!” Musk expined with a serious expression.

  “Yeah! Finally, we’ll see real a.” Several recruits were celebrating the news.

  But not everyone celebrated. It wasn’t unon for is to happen ihe Academy. Retly, it has bee so frequent that it is no longer a sdal when some students go missing during expeditions.

  “Tomorrow, at 0800, you will head to the transport area. You will meet all the ers training groups for joint training.” Musk tihe expnation.

  The captain typed some information on his holographic keyboard, causing some images to be projected. The first was of a greehat none of the students reized.

  “You will be responsible for the reaissance mission of the exo-p Aethra. This p already tains a small settlement, and there are no signs of any monsters above Knight level. However, certain monsters reproduce quickly and require extensive hunting occasionally for popution trol. This is the case with the Crabits.”

  After mentioning the animal's name, a few more holograms appeared. The fged creature resembled a rabbit; however, its front legs were strong and massive. Its teeth were sharp enough to rip carcasses apart.

  As the students absorbed the group's first mission, more videos of the animals were projected. In each video, it was clear that although they were small animals, roughly the size of a dog, they were fast and fierce.

  “Do not be fooled; although they are Pawn-level monsters, if you are not prepared to face them, they quickly kill any of you.”

  In one of the videos, a Crabit grabbed peared to be a dog and, with a fierce bite, ripped its head off in a quick, almost instantaneous motion. Several students were disgusted by the image, while others shivered at such brutality. Oliver did not feel as impacted; he was already used to ing up Ork remains; it wasn’t so different.

  ‘How does someone faething like this?’ Oliver pondered.

  “Professor, how these Crabits be Pawn level?” one of the students from the Sed Battalion asked, his trembling voice revealing the fear he tried to hide.

  “Although fast and fierce, they are animals with little intelligend defense. If you are able to attack them, you quickly clear the entire horde.” Musk answered.

  Some more images appeared of hunters shooting at the animals and clearing the packs. Seeing the examples in the holograms, Oliver noticed that ranged ons seemed more difficult as they allowed the animals to dodge the shots. At the same time, close bat could more easily approach the fierimals and elimihem quickly.

  ‘These Crabits are going to be a headache. I only have the Energy Pistol to deal with them,’ Oliver thought, trying to figure out if there was another option.

  “Each kill will be recorded on yaus, where you see the ranking among yourselves and the other csses. Your score will be ected to your positions within your battalions, allowing students from the first and sed battalions to be moved between them.” Musk expined.

  Another level of petitiveness had been introduced. It was a clear sign that the Academy didn’t want to maintaiatus quo; they wahe survival of the fittest, and for that, they o pit all the students against each other.

  For the students of the sed battalion, this was the motivation they he possibility of moving to the first battalion and increasing their ces of being Rangers. For the first battalion, it was a way to hold on to their urels and maintain their position.

  “Make the h Army proud!” the captain shouted.

  Musk gave this speech hundreds of times, but it always had the desired effect: igniting a sense of patriotism for the army and the empire while increasing the petitiveness and rivalry between battalions. Only this way could they secure the best talents among the young recruits.

  “Cp! Cp! Cp!” Many recruits gave the instructor a round of appuse, especially those who had joihe Academy with an interiotism or had even been victims of the Waves. Most of them dreamed of being able to do something, of going to the front lines.

  “In the meaoday, we will have six more rounds of bat. Again, I will select those who stay in the ring and those who rotate out. But we will have a small ge, so you train in an enviro closer to what you’ll find ihra.” Musk expined.

  The bat format was not o the students; each would have three mio fa oppo. Both sides would seek to learn as much as possible and for evolution, although it was difficult to achieve. Oliver khat the tougher the oppo, the greater the experience he could gain.

  However, the css was surprised to see what the professor was doing; after typing on the keyboard, the ground of all the arenas ged. In some, there was grass; in others, there was sand, rocks, or water.

  “Today, you will have to get used to fighting in a new setting for each match. This will force you to prepare for the most diverse enviros you will enter during your missions.” The captain finished his expnation.

  [bat will start in …]

  [3… 2… 1…]

  [bat initiated]

  The following bats were not much different from the ones i days. Although the terrain added a new difficulty level, both batants had to learn. By the third round, it became apparent who had the upper hand in the arena.

  These students did not have to relearn a new bat style; however, those who rotated between rings had a more challenging experience, but ohat allowed them to learn more about adapting to various sarios.

  For Oliver, this was a great experience, except for the fact that he was being humiliated in every match. In the first ones, he faced some colleagues from the first battalion in sandy terrains, which made it difficult for him to dodge and move away quickly. This allowed his oppos to defeat him with little resistance.

  Just when he was starting to adapt, he had to face Katherine in a water-filled enviro up to his shins, making each step extremely heavy. The fight sted less than 30 seds. The boy agai feeling annoyed for not having at least tried to start a versation.

  His st match was again against Astrid, who was still super excited. It was unclear whether it was because of the bat or ‘real a’ they would face the day. But in any case, it was another defeat. This time, it was a mountainous terrain with rocks and sand. It would have bee for Oliver if the arena had been rger, allowing him to act as a sniper from a distance. But the rocks only became an obstacle for him to dodge Astrid’s attacks at the short distance.

  Once more, Oliver ehe day feeling like he learned a lot, but at the cost of several defeats.

  [+15 Experience Points]

  || Status Page| User: Oliver [Nameless]| Level: 1 [Pawn]| Experience: [158/100] [Click to Evolve]

  The css was finally over; he wao get to the dorm as soon as possible. If he was lucky, there wouldn’t be too many recruits, and he could test the evolution. But before he could leave, Astrid appeared in front of him.

  “Are you going to make this a habit?” Oliver asked.

  “What? Hey! You’re friends with Isabe, right?” Astrid spoke fast, as always.

  “Huh?” Oliver answered.

  “I asked if you were friends with Isabe. Shirl, dark hair, always smiling like a distracted person, and obsessed with celebrity Rangers.” Astrid expined.

  “Oh! Yes, I am.” For Oliver, the main description that made him figure out was her strange fasation with Rangers.

  “She asked me to tell you and the other boy to activate the chat fun on yau and add her. Her username is BeRedFanGirl.” Astrid ented.

  Oliver didn't know that the gau had a chat fun. But as they had expihey would discover more about its features as they used it over time. He was also surprised with himself for not being freaked out by Isabe's username.

  “You could take the opportunity and add me too…” Astrid lowered her voice with each word.

  “What?”

  “I SAID YOU COULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND ADD ME TOO! SweetValhal” Astrid's face was pletely red, close to her hair color.

  “You must be deaf.” After her st words, she quickly turned ahe gym. Meanwhile, other students who had remained were whispering about what had just happened.

  Oliver didn’t know how to interpret what had just occurred, but he didn’t have much time to think about it. He ran out of the gym a straight to the dormitory.

  Although there were some students in the first bunks, his was he end and appeared to have no other recruits. He got to his bed and sat while watg the button.

  [Click to Evolve]

  | Click!

  GCLopes